Locally Produced Food Available During Winter

During the winter months, plan on enjoying high quality, farm fresh produce and other High Country produced goods. Consuming local, nutritious food will boost your immune system this winter, plus help support hard-working farmers and artisans in our community.

The Watauga County farmers’ market is open on Saturdays from 9 until 1 through November. Seasonal produce includes apples, greens, cabbage, potatoes, garlic, carrots, turnips, and winter squash. A good variety of meat is available including beef, lamb, pork and chicken. You will also find eggs, breads, bagels, and pastries, jams, jellies, and molasses.

Beginning the first week of December, the High Country Community Supported Agriculture winter catalog is accessible online at highcountrycsa.org/catalog. You may compile custom orders, choosing from a variety similar to what is available at the farmers’ market for a once a month pick up at the Agricultural conference center.

Wild Pilgrim Farmstead, located in Caldwell County, delivers organically raised meats and fresh produce to Boone throughout the winter. Caldwell is typically 10 degrees warmer than Watauga in the winter, plus they grow in 7 greenhouses, allowing for great variety. Currently available is tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, kale, sweet potatoes, winter squash, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Swiss chard, spinach, zucchini, onions, carrots, and beets. The delivery site is Bare Essentials on Thursday afternoons. For more information, contact them at wildpilgrimfarmstead@gmail.com or 828-455-7808.

North Fork Farm, located in Zionville, offers a variety of high quality, grass-fed meat, including vacuum packed frozen beef, pork and chicken. Check out their selection at http://northforkfarmbeef.com/price-list/ They take orders by e mail, northforkfarm@skybest.com, or by phone 828-297-5755 / 828-773-0305. After placing your order, they will arrange a place to deliver.

Chestnut Grove Farms, located off of hwy 194 towards Todd, offers a variety of cuts of Angus beef that graze on a mixture of orchard, clover, and timothy grasses. Check out the selection at http://www.chestnutgrovefarms.net/buy-our-beef.html Bare Essentials natural market carries their beef, or you may call them at 264-7764 to arrange a delivery.

Bare Essentials Natural Market has supported the local food system for many years. Located at 273 Boone Heights Dr. in Boone, they offer a variety of produce, meat, eggs, honey, Bald Guy Brew coffee, and pasta.

Stick Boy Bread Company, located at 345 Hardin St is famous for high quality baked goods. They also carry a variety of locally produced products, including jams, eggs, pasta, and goat cheese.
Margie Mansure, M.S., R.D. is a registered dietitian/nutritionist and extension agent with N.C. Cooperative Extension. She offers personalized classes to improve the health of citizens in Watauga County through worksites, schools and community groups. margie_mansure@ncsu.edu., (828)264-3061

More than 25,000 lay leaders comprise the Extension Advisory Leadership System, and more than 250 community members comprise theWatauga County Advisory Leadership System. These volunteers keep Extension professionals aware of local issues and needs. The local issues and needs are addressed in the Plan of Work for the Watauga County Center. The current Plan of Work can be found at the bottom of this page.

We receive financial support from three levels of government – federal, state and county – and from private financial sources. We also receive support from agribusiness; organizations devoted to agriculture, youth and health; foundations and individuals. The Extension Service works cooperatively with other state and governmental agencies.

Marketing and production of alternative agricultural opportunities and enterprises

Natural resource conservation and management

Nutrition and wellness

Residential and community horticulture, forestry and pest management

Residential and community water and waste management

Resilient youth, families and communities

Youth development

How we communicate with you

Extension agents, located in every county and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, are the bridge between specialists on the university campuses and you.

The staff in your Extension Center coordinates educational programs, public meetings, workshops, field days, personal consultations and satellite broadcasts to help you improve your life. Your Extension Center is stocked with publications, newsletters, computer programs and videotapes on a variety of topics.

To put Cooperative Extension to work for you, call or visit your local county Extension Center.

NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension, which staffs local offices in all 100 counties and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

NC State University and N.C. A&T State University are collectively committed to positive action to secure equal opportunity and prohibit discrimination and harassment regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, political beliefs, family and marital status, sex, age, veteran status, sexual identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, or disability.